How to fix a cross-threaded your wood-burning tool.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Plier or Channel locks
- #8-32NC Steel Tap
- Clean tip
- Safety goggles
First, the wood burner MUST be cold before you start!
If your wood-burning tool got cross-threaded and you can’t insert the tip all the way, it gets stuck partway in, here’s how to fix that so you can use it again and again:
- Remove the tip if it is one in the tool.
- Pick up the tap and start to screw it in by hand. Just to get it started.
- Twist the tap clockwise. Or remember “righty tightly”.
- Now, use the plier / channel locks. Grip the end of the tap securely, and twist the wood burner clockwise. It should be just stiff enough to feel like you are “digging” or cleaning out the wood burning tool. But it should not take a lot of strength!
- Keep twisting until you feel it stop. Then back it out by twisting the tool counterclockwise. It will start to get easier as you get near the end.
- If you haven’t put on your goggles, do that now. Protect your eyes! There will be brass shavings in the wood-burning tool. You need to knock or blow them out on a towel.
- Then use the tap one more time. Twisting by hand. Until it becomes too stiff and you need the channel locks again. Now just twist back and forth until it turns easily all the way. And you can remove the tap by hand without resistance.
- Knock or blow out any remaining shavings.
- Next, pick up the clean tip. And see how easily it screws in. It should be super easy and smooth just like when the tool was new. If it doesn’t please repeat the steps above.
TIP: If you put Powdered Graphite Lubricant in there will help it to move more smoothly when you put the tip in and out. But you need to make sure that the graphite gets in the threads of the barrel not just at the bottom of the barrel, where it can make a difference. Twist the tip back and forth to spread the graphite into the tube a little more effectively